


Broken Promises

by Ruunkur



Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: But not like major characters as far as this fic is concerned, Major characters as far as the show is concerned, people die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 03:42:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20650622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: You stand at the edge, with each movement pushing you.Will you jump? Or will you stand tall?





	Broken Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Writing commission for Sanbika.
> 
> If you're interested in speaking about writing commissions, email me at RuneUYoung@yahoo.com & title the email, "Writing commission" or something so it doesn't accidentally get deleted.
> 
> ******
> 
> This so so much fun to write.

The breathing, something that you thought was soft once, was harsh in the darkness. There’s fear crawling over your skin and you hazard an attempt at taking in a breath.

When those eyes lock in on you, you know that you made a mistake.

“What do you think you’re doing out here, Daisuke?”

You blink when you hear the voice, one that you weren’t expecting. When you glance back up, the eyes were gone and you are alone in the hallway with Wormmon.

“I was…”

There’s a pause as you scratch the side of your head, trying to come up with an answer. Really, there was no good reason for why you were out in the hall. Only that you felt caged. You felt stifled, chained.

Trapped.

The word keeps coming back to you as you stare at the green digimon.

“You were?” he prompted, his eyes locked onto your face.

“I was hungry.”

The excuse is flimsy at best, which you are well aware of as you cross your arms over your chest.

“Hungry.”

You nod, gaze sweeping the hallway, searching for those red eyes. With a shudder, you rub your shoulder. “Yeah, I was hungry. You know, I wanted to see what kind of kitchen you had.”

Wormmon just looks at you, his eyes narrowing. “I will bring you food-”

“I want to cook something for the Kaiser.”

You watch as Wormmon stares you down before he dipped his head, gesturing with one of his feelers to follow him.

Three days of being in the Kaiser’s care and you want to go off the walls. Find a way out. But, you set yourself to following the digimon.

“Are you going to hurt Ken?”

You glance down at the digimon, a frown crossing your features. “Well, I wasn’t planning on it. Why, do you think I should?”

Wormmon stopped, turning to look at him. “You aren’t supposed to be out of your cell.”

You take a step back as you hear footsteps, raising your hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I already told you I wasn’t going to hurt him.”

You let yourself breathe as you follow Wormmon, unsurprised to see him gesturing you back into the cell that you had managed to escape from. When you stepped inside, he shut the door, the lock reactivating.

“He will be with you soon. Stay.”

You watch the worm scuttle away, sitting back on the bench. You hadn’t seen the Kaiser since you’d been taken. Since the battle that had gone so wrong.

You curl your hand into a fist, closing your eyes and taking a breath.

“Wormmon told me that someone let you out.”

You jerk awake when you hear the voice, letting out your breath and jumping to your feet. “Yeah? Well, if you let me go, no one has to know about this.”

The teenager was on the other side of the bars, a smirk crawling across his face. “You think I will let you go? You must not understand your position, Motomiya.” He shifted, his cloak snapping behind him. “Your friends are attempting to find you, as pathetic of an attempt as that is. But, you see, I have something else, something important, I need to speak with you about.”

“Yeah?” You glare at him, eyes flashing. “What would be so important that you have to keep me here for three days?”

“And yet, even after such hospitality was shown to you, you tried to escape at the first chance you found. You see, Daisuke, there is something that you can help me with. However, I understand your… desire to not participate and help me. I do say, however, that there is something on the line.”

“What’d you do to V-mon, huh?” You demand, voice rising at the thought of your partner, who’ve you known for several years and knew better than any other, would be hurt.

The Kaiser just smiled, tilting his head to the side. “You think this is about your… partner? You really are as dense as I expected. No, I am afraid that your precious partner is safe with the other idiots you hang around. My intentions lie in the safety of another for the exchange of information.”

You tense, eyes locked on Ken.

The two of you had an off and on friendship for the past two years, until you learned the truth of his dealings with the digital world. Your hands tighten, nails digging into your palms. You knew him better than you wanted to admit, and you knew he knew you better than you wanted to believe.

“I am asking an exchange of your services for the safety of your sister. Of course, this extends to anyone else you may know as well... I’ll be back tomorrow-”

“What kind of service?”

You didn’t mean to ask the question and you see Ken’s eyes flash behind the goggles, his smirk growing as he watches you. He takes a step forward, his arms crossed over his chest.

“The kind of service that would end with you giving me information, Motomiya. Nothing more than that. Information and knowledge that your… friends will never figure out why they can’t defeat me.”

“And what makes you think you can convince me to stay on your side?”

Ken smiled, uncrossing his arms and gesturing towards the darkness behind him. It lit up, a screen appearing before them. On it showed your older sister, walking across the street, chatting with someone you didn’t recognize.

“The knowledge that your sister’s blood will be on your hands, of course. You’re a good man, Daisuke. Surely you wouldn’t want blood on your hands.”

“I’m not the one doing the killing, it would be on your hands, Ichijouji!”

“On my hands, over your head. Just keep it in mind, when you face your friends. Every time you see your sister, think of what it would be like to see her dead. I’ll give you a day to think it over, Motomiya. If you decide to help me, I will be very interested in hearing what you have to say. Though, I hear black would be more fitting for a funeral than whatever it is that you’re wearing now.”

You look down at the jacket with flames imprinted on it, courtesy of the digital world. When you glance back up, the Kaiser was gone, the screen flashing before you and showing your sister.

***

“Have you made your choice?”

Your head jerks up at the sound of the voice and you take in a shaky breath. When you see him standing there, again, you want to recoil. But, you force yourself to step forward, closing the distance between you. Down to his left, you can see Wormmon, the bug staring at you with open hostility. 

“I’ll do it.”

The words are like razors as you speak them and you want to pull away from your captor as he smirks.

“Very well. I will leave you at the nearest exit. You will report back to me in a week.”

“What do you want?”

You meet his gaze, watching as the Kaiser tips his head. “What do you think will save the life of your sister, Motomiya?”

The words chill you and he’s gone, leaving you in the dark once more. What was unexpected was when your stomach lurches and the floor falls out from below you. You’re falling through the air and then there’s sand catching you.

You push yourself up, brushing it off you and, when you cast your gaze to the sky, you see nothing. When you pat yourself down, you find your D-3 and point it at the TV, the feeling of being sucked in making you nauseated.

You’re spit out in Hikari’s room, disorientated.

You’re not a hundred percent sure what day it was, or how long you had been in the Kaiser’s hands. You just know your head hurts and-

“Daisuke?”

You push yourself up once more, rubbing your head and look at Hikari.

“Oh my god, you’re okay!”

You blink when she hugs you, her arms tight around your shoulders. You’re still kneeling on her floor, but you’re happy to be back.

“Y-yeah,” you respond, swallowing to alleviate the dryness of your throat. “That fight…”

Hikari let you go, taking a step back and looking you over. “Iori and Takeru have been covering with your parents… we spent days trying to track you down.”

You shake his head. “I think his base moves.”

Hikari gives you a look and you grimace. It doesn’t make sense to you, not really. You just offer her a smile, looking off to the side.

“Is Chibimon okay?”

Hikari nods, taking another step back. “I’ll message the others and let them know you’re okay. Takeru has your D-terminal.”

You nod, running a hand over your face. “What time is it?”

“Nearly eight; parents are out for the night.”

When you look back up, you feel a shiver run down your spine. At the tender age of sixteen, you and Hikari look at each other with the eyes of someone who has seen too many fights. You reach up, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“No one else is going to die.”

Hikari met your gaze and you offer her the ghost of a smile. “The Kaiser…”

“Is a scared teenager, on the run. We just have to… pin him down. We’ll get back at him, for everything.”

The image of your sister flashes before you, the screen dancing in your mind. You glance up when Hikari calls your name again. You’re accepting the hand and letting her pull you up and you feel strangely calm.

Heavy.

Empty.

Uncertain.

You know, after everything that has happened, that _he_ is more than willing to make good on his deal. The blood would be spilled, again, and nothing would be set right.

“Daisuke?”

You turn your attention to Hikari, smiling at her. A real smile, though there was sadness in your eyes.

“Yeah, I should go home.”

She nods and leads you through the apartment, out to the door and you step into the chilly autumn air, watching your breath coil in front of you as you parted ways.

*****

There’s something about meeting up with the Kaiser once a week that gets under your skin. The way he looks at you, every time you pass him information. Your writing’s sloppy and he gets annoyed in the first few weeks, before you learn how to start taking better notes.

When the fourth meeting took place at his base, the screen replaying sections of your day over, sights set on Jun, you force yourself to do better.

You always leave Chibimon at home for these. They take place in the dead of night, when the others are asleep and you don’t always meet in the digital world. For those weeks that the Kaiser can’t be bothered to show, you meet him in some backstreet coffee shop and you have to wonder how he came across these.

When you meet with him, you feel your stomach drop. Puberty has hit Ken the way it did all of your friends.

You always had weird tastes as you went through high school. You never really stayed with a person for long. Anyone outside of your small group didn’t understand your responsibilities. You would have to make excuses, would have to disappear during the middle of dates when something big was happening.

When you tried dating Hikari, her words always soothing and a reminder that she would have done anything if it hadn’t meant the death of her brother, of the others, you felt a balm applied to your soul.

But there was always the dark being hold over your head. You broke it off when you realized that it would be putting her in the line of danger. You couldn’t, wouldn’t, do that to her.

It was awkward the first few months after the split but she always looked too closely at you. Tailmon would watch you like a hawk and you felt like you were being bared to your very soul.

But, as you move forward, walking the delicate line that was betraying your friends to keep your family alive, you had to wonder if it was worth it. And, with each meeting you had with Ken, you felt something grow underneath the desire to help your friends and to say goodbye to your sister.

You were eighteen when you first came to terms with it. One of the late night meetings with Ken. You wouldn’t be much use the next day, but you couldn’t afford the slip up now. Meeting with him, following him through the maze that was his base, you felt eyes on you.

The same eyes that you had felt the first time you escaped.

When he stopped, you stopped with him.

“Doesn’t it bother you that I could be telling everyone anything you show me?” The words were the first either of you had spoken that night.

“I would have known if you betrayed my confidence, Daisuke.”

He turns, a look in his eye that you couldn’t place. When you realize that you hadn’t taken a breath since speaking, you let one out in a long exhale.

“Do you got eyes on me, too?”

Ken just smiled, tilting his head. “What would you do if I said I did?”

You just shrug, turning back to study the base. You didn’t know it well, but you figured, if you tried hard enough, you could get through it without his help. You didn’t want to try, not really. You were afraid of getting lost in the base, of being stuck and no one willing to help you.

“So, where’s Wormmon?”

When he glances back at you, you have to force yourself from saying something stupid. Your dreams had wandered over the years. Replacing random images of people, blurred and unfocused, with the keen gaze of the Kaiser.

Of course, he was only ever himself in your dreams.

“I believe this will be the last time we are meeting in my base. There are things happening, Motomiya.”

“Yeah, you trying to take over the digital world, right?” you ask, arms crossed over your chest. You feel off kilter when he looks at you, a smirk crossing his face once more.

“There is more than just that, Motomiya. There are changes coming.”

The way he spoke, you realized you were in deep. Giving him the ammunition needed to keep a war going on that no one wanted. Willing to spill blood.

And yet…

“Fuck.”

He raises one eyebrow when you speak, staring you down. “Is there something wrong, Daisuke?”

You shake your head, swallowing back the lump in your throat. The dreams had been mounting to something and you could feel the tension welling in your gut as he gives you that look. Nothing that you wanted to see, not now.

When you don’t speak, Ken continues to move. You watch him, chewing on the inside of your cheek as he walks.

“Do you like what you see?”

You freeze when you hear the question, meeting Ken’s gaze and he smirks at you.

“I’ve noticed you watching me, Daisuke. Don’t think I haven’t. Does all of this excite you?”

You don’t respond, looking back at the walls. When the silence goes on too long, you just shrug. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He’s standing in front of you and it’s like a dream all over. He’s too close, his hand on your chest and he smirks, his goggles pulled to hang around his neck.

“Do you think I picked you to blackmail at random? Oh, I could have kept the other brothers alive and used them as well. But… you, there is something about you, Motomiya. Even when we were friends, I understood you.”

Your heart speeds up and he’s kissing you. It’s better, you think in a haze, than you dreams. You don’t know what’s happening, but your hands are curled in his shirt and you’re gasping for air. Maybe you had come too close in working for him. You should have tried harder to date others but-

“I understand what you want, Daisuke. Better than you ever will. If you want it, you’re welcome to take it.”

He’s stepping back and you feel your heart thud in your chest, unsure what you want but, knowing him, you will never understand what you need.

*****

The clock ticks in the background and you shift, the cold metal chair hard underneath you. You aren’t sure why you’re there, only that it was the place he had asked to meet at. When you hear a door open, you look up, eyes scanning the crowds.

Days.

Months.

Years.

It all didn’t matter.

There was death all around you and there was no stepping forward, you knew that much. Now, you stand, watching everyone that filters through the door and that oddly familiar blue hair is what you find yourself staring at. You don’t even move but you catch his attention.

He turns, cold eyes finding you in the lobby and he walks over, holding out a hand.

“I trust that I will find everything I need?” he asked, his voice sending shivers down your spine. You hand over the folder, giving him a short nod.

“What do you want out of this, Ichijouji?”

You asked yourself that question for the past four years. Even now, when he glances at you, he just gives you one of his little half smiles. You asked him that question, but he never answered it.

“I want to ensure that you can’t move, Motomiya.”

His voice was soft and you felt the same shiver you get whenever Hikari looks at you. You take in a breath, listening to the rapid pulsing of your heart.

“It’s a game that neither of us can win, is it?”

He just smiled wider, stepping closer to you and you want to move back, but your legs are still pressed against the bench. There was nowhere to move. Not unless you wanted to slip into the press of the people heading towards their offices.

“Do you still believe that you and your… friends can win?” Ken cocked an eyebrow, letting himself laugh. “Everything that you’ve won has been given to you, might I remind you. Of course, you’re welcome to forget about our deal…”

“I’m not a teenager anymore.”

“But you’re still scared.”

You open your mouth, eyes flashing. You couldn’t think of a response and, by the time you did, he was gone, lost to the mass of people and you sink back onto the bench, placing your head in your hands. You had several more minutes before you would be asked to move along and you use them to your benefit.

***

Over the four years that you had steadily been feeding Ichijouji the information he wanted, you had come to notice a pattern to his movements. The others were growing frustrated by the constant back and forth. Any ground you gained, he would simply move elsewhere or take back later.

You sat at the table with the others, eyes on the pizza that Chibimon was consuming. You reach over, snagging a slice.

“So, we’re at another standstill?”

Miyako threw the paper down in disgust, her arms crossed over her chest.

“It seems that way.” Hikari glanced towards the window, letting out a sigh. “We’re growing more and more restricted on when we _can_ be in the digital world. While the Kaiser-”

“His name is Ichijouji.” Takeru looked up from his drink, eyes flashing. “We can keep calling him the Kaiser, but he’s human, just like us. He has to give at some point.”

“But he hasn’t!” Iori shook his head, disturbing Upamon from his lap. “He hasn’t given up in nine years. He’s always one step ahead of us.”

“And with Archnemon and Mummymon joining his team, the spread of spires is just growing faster. We haven’t been able to keep up with it in ages!” Miyako snapped.

“Guys.”

You almost want your voice to be lost as the others turn to glance at you, Hikari’s gaze softening. You nod at her, standing and shifting.

“Have we heard… anything from the others?”

Takeru and Hikari shared a glance. “Mimi refuses to talk with us…”

“Sora’s a lost cause. She’s been too busy helping her mother and…” Takeru sighed, his shoulders slumping.

You weren’t sure who took loosing their brother the hardest, Takeru or Hikari. But you knew that neither of them had been the same.

“Koushiro helps when he can, but…” Miyako slid her gaze to Hikari, who just shook her head.

“Even if they could join us, they wouldn’t be much help.”

The unspoken words.

You taste the ash on your mouth as you think of your time with Ken, two years ago, detailing where their partner digimon lived. With a grimace you sit back down, staring down at Chibimon. They were only ever safe because they left the digital world with them.

“At some point, he’s going to run out of places to run.”

Your hands curl into a fist and you bang one against the table, causing everyone to jump and stare at you.

“We’re stuck in a stalemate. With Archnemon, he’s able to put up more spires than we’re able to take down. We have nowhere left to run. The most we can do is keep up on the territory we gained and hope he doesn’t try to steamroll over that.”

“Hey, brave leader, haven’t you heard anything at all?” Miyako demanded. “There is nowhere left to move. What territory that is left to us is scattered. We can try to forge a connection, but with how he’s going…”

You sit back, crossing your arms over your chest and thinking. You had seen the smashed gates as you walked through the land of reclaimed territory. Your stomach flipped and you looked up at them.

“He’s cutting off our movements. I say we fall back to the Village of Beginnings and defend it. Without the village…”

You trail off, knowing that the others would understand. Already, the rebirth of digimon was called into question. Fewer and fewer were making their way there and you felt dirty.

“He hasn’t touched File Island.”

You look up at Hikari’s words, meeting her gaze and you give her a nod. The Kaiser was content to stay on the continent, for the time being. You were expecting that to change any day, though you kept your fears close to your chest.

“We can make File Island our base, with the Village of Beginnings being our main hold on Server Continent.”

“It doesn’t exactly…” Miyako glanced at you, her eyebrows pulling down as she frowns.

“It’s not a solution for the long term, but it is something that will give us a strong base in the digital world. If we can start sending the younger digimon across to File Island, it would give the Kaiser less fodder.” Tailmon looks up, her eyes locked on yours. “He may be an idiot, but he has a point. Every once in a while.”

You scowl at her but glance back at the others. “It would be a start. If we can get Digimon from the Village to File Island…” You sit back in your chair, staring at the table.

Four years ago, the Kaiser had been retreating from your advancement. When your phone rings, you look at the caller ID, glancing at the others. “I have to take this.”

You don’t answer the phone until you’re standing on the balcony, the voices inside distant as you slide the door shut. You hold the phone up to your ear, letting out a sigh.

“Hey, Jun.”

“Hey bro, you took your time answering.”

You grimace, sitting down in own of Hikari’s deck chairs. “I was in the middle of… a meeting. Had to call for a recess, special just for you. How’s America?”

While you and she never got along well, you were still related. It had been better when she moved out of the house, giving you your own space and time to come to terms with her as your sister. When you hear her voice, you can still picture her on the Kaiser’s screen, words echoing in his jail.

“Daisuke?”

You shake your head, putting out a smile she couldn’t see. “It sounds like you’re having a great time! You enjoying your honeymoon?”

The question brought the conversation quickly to an end, Jun spluttering something out that had you laughing as you bid her goodnight. You pocketed your phone, looking out over the city and grunting. When your phone beeped again, you frowned and looked over the message.

Sender Unknown:  
Meet me in the desert, tonight.

You swallow, shaking your head and putting the phone back in your pocket. When you head inside, you see the others packing up to leave and you nod at them, scooping up a sleeping Chibimon.

“I have to get home. I’ll see you tomorrow!” With a wave, you’re out of the apartment, ignoring the startled questions thrown your way. Your phone weighed heavily, your thoughts turning.

***

“You’re late.”

You step onto the desert sand, looking around the Kaiser controlled territory. When you meet Ken’s gaze, you shrug. “You didn’t give me a time. What do you want? Are you unsatisfied with what I’ve given you?”

You tense when he walked towards you. There was a part of you that hated meeting him in the digital world. You had to leave Chibimon behind and you swallow, feeling the hand on your shoulder.

“You’re dense, you know that.”

When you glance down, you see that Wormmon has followed, like the ever faithful dog you call him.

“Yeah and you’re an asshole.”

Ken raises an eyebrow and you feel your breath catch. He wasn’t in his usual garb, his hair was swept backwards and his eyes were trained on you. You hesitate, dragging your gaze back down to Wormmon.

“I found the documents quite interesting. How is your sister doing?” Ken asked, turning and heading towards something in the semi-distance. You watch him, moving to catch up when you realize how far away he had gotten. Wormmon was right next to him, glancing over his shoulder to stare at you.

“Fine.”

You stop when he does, looking at the table that was set up. When you glance back up, you feel your breath catch.

There had always been something about Ken that rubbed you wrong. Something about him that, even as pre-teens, made you want to question what he was doing. When you find the table laid out with food, you glance back at him.

“Are you trying to poison me?”

Ken just raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him. “You’ve been giving me information. Why would I poison you _now_, Motomiya?”

You look up at him, feeling the shiver run down your spine. When you don’t answer, he gestures for you to sit.

“What would it take for you to convince the others to leave the digital world?”

You glance up from poking at the food, unease coiling in your guts. You think back to that first kiss, several years ago. The one that had sealed your fate.

“They won’t do it. It’s their duty to take care of this place. Just like it’s mine.”

And it should be his. You don’t say the words, but you catch them just at the tip of your tongue, letting the chill run down your spine.

“Oh, but you haven’t been doing that, have you?”

His laughter fills the silence and the shivers that run down your spine are back in full force. You know you’re playing with fire and you can see it in his gaze. There would be no backing down from it, not now.

You're nearly finished eating when Ken cleared his throat.

"What, exactly, do you think of me?"

You look up, surprise flashing through your eyes. When you meet Ken's gaze, you set your fork down.

"You're a terrible person." More words want to follow but you stare at him, unwilling to express your feelings.

Ken folded his hands on the table, eyes locked on you. "Tell me… why should I let your sister live when you've been leaving out details."

“I haven’t been leaving out details.”

You’re terrified when he shifts, moving ever closer to you. His food remains untouched and you wonder, just ever so briefly, if this is where you’ll die. You had been so careful.

But it still hadn’t been enough.

Ken stands, moving closer to you and he smirks, his hand halfway to you. You move to stand but you feel sluggish and you let out a breath.

“I haven’t been leaving out details.”

He cocks an eyebrow, eyeing you up and down. “Than how,” he’s standing, walking towards you, “are you managing to circumvent my program and evolving?”

You meet Ken’s gaze, watching him before you shake your head. “We don’t know. The crests did… something.”

There was truth to that. With the others out of the digital world, the crests had fallen to you and your friends. No one was willing to look into it, not any further than they had. They couldn’t afford to look at a gift sideways, not when it could save them. When Ken takes another step closer to you, you force your attention back to him.

He’s inches away from you, his hands on the arms of your chair. He’s dipping closer, his breath gentle against your cheek.

“Strange, I think you’re telling the truth. Those programs couldn’t tell me anymore about the crests than you could.”

Your heart is pounding in your chest as Ken smiles at you. Over the years, you had wondered what it would be like if he had smiled at you, given you the time of day. If he had wanted something more than just to use you.

His lips are soft when they brush against yours and you jerk your eyes open, staring at him. Your heart is pounding in your chest and you tilt your head back. When he pulls away, he’s smirking.

“You-”

Your thoughts are colliding with each other as you feel his hands slide under your shirt. You couldn’t move but you let out a whine when he kisses you again.

When he pulls all the way away, he’s smirking at you. “What is it that you want out of this, Motomiya?”

You suck in a breath through your teeth, watching as he crossed his arms over his chest. You close your eyes, taking in the feeling of his lips on yours. “Fuck.”

“I certainly won’t fuck you, Motomiya.”

You open your eyes at his words, looking at him. You’re uncomfortable, your clothes feel too tight and you want to run, but you’re trapped under his gaze. “We really don’t know how the evolutions have been working.”

Ken let out a sigh. “Well, I suppose I will accept that answer.”

***

When you manage to escape -though it wasn’t really escaping, you didn’t want to leave- all you can think about was Ken. Laying on your bed, staring at your ceiling, you could almost imagine being back at his base, letting hi kiss you, letting him…

The thoughs run full forge ahead as you pull your pillow over your face, ignoring -or trying to ignore- the growing unease that settled in your gut.

The next few weeks pass in a blur, Ken dancing in your thoughts though you didn’t see him. Only acknowledged the messages and which digimon you were supposed to be passing reports to.

The next time you see him is in the same desert. This time, during the day and completely by accident. With no work to occupy your time, you’re wandering there, V-mon riding on your shoulder the entire way.

You stop when you see the first spire, your hand shoved in your jacket pocket. Just the thought of Ken made you wish you were at home with a cold shower handy. V-mon is already on the ground and you nod at him, D-3 in hand.

It was easy to clear the little space. And, to V-mon’s amusement when he devolves back, the table is still set, though there is no food to be seen.

“Daisuke?”

You glance down at your partner, raising an eyebrow as he jumped onto the table. “What’s up?”

“Why does it smell like you and the Kaiser here?”

You twitch, masking your face as quickly as possible. When you glance back at your partner, you can still see him watching you, head tilted.

“I dunno. It could be we passed through here before, at different times.”

“Is this where you’ve been disappearing to?”

You let out a sigh, offering him a smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, buddy.”

V-mon shook his head, watching you. “You were gone the other night, when I woke up. You’ve been doing that a lot. Disappearing in the middle of the night. You’ve been doing it for years now.”

You stare at him, shaking your head. When V-mon glances back down at the table, you let out a sigh. You hated explaining things to the digimon, as some concepts took ages to learn, but you bite back your frustration. “You know my sister, right?”

He nods and you sit down in the chair that Ken had taken, just three weeks ago. You don’t know where to start, but you find that you don’t have to when the man himself shows up.

“Sulking are we, Motomiya?” You watch as the Kaiser, in all his glory, steps onto the sand, his eyes flashing. “I came to see what happened to my pet project, only to find you here. Why, I dare say…”

His gaze darts to V-mon and he lets out a smirk.

“What do you want, Ichijouji?” You’re not in the mood to play his games and you can still feel V-mon’s gaze on you. You’re not sure what you had been about to tell your partner, but you figured that this was a good time as any to stop that conversation before it got started.

“I want to hear what you were going to tell your partner.”

You stare at him, uncomfortable and, as you watch him move towards you, you slump further into the chair, staring at the sky. You hadn’t gotten him out of your head for weeks and, even now, there’s nothing less that you want to do than to run and go back home, where at least you would have the ability to shower.

To hide.

When Ken steps closer, V-mon jumps off the table and stands between the pair of you.

“He’s by himself, I think I can take him.”

“No.”

The word surprises V-mon and he glances back at you. “What do you mean no? Isn’t this the Kaiser we’re standing in front of? He’s by himself, Daisuke! We can take him.”

“I said no.”

You push yourself off the chair, going to collect the child digimon. When you meet Ken’s gaze, he’s smirking.

Over the years, he has matured from his cape flowing persona. He wears a black suit, purple gloves accenting the outfit. His hair is still wild, thrown up in spikes, and he has a slimmer pair of goggles. Now, he raises his hands, clapping them together.

“I must say, I’m impressed, Motomiya. All these years and you managed to keep everyone in the dark.”

He stepped closer and you let out a sigh. “You know, you’ve managed to do one thing and that’s piss me off. What the fuck do you want, Ichijouji?”

“I want to know what you’re doing in my desert. You’ve fallen back to File Island. You’re losing so much ground, Motomiya. You don’t even know where to turn.”

You tense. The plan hadn’t been put into action, not fully. You were still struggling to claim back his ever growing territory and you hear V-mon growl in your arms. When you step closer to Ichijouji, he meets you. V-mon squirms and you drop when he bites you, but you can’t help but be drawn closer to him.

“You’ve fallen… haven’t you?” Ken whispered, his voice right in your ear and you whine, low, when he kisses you hard. You don’t even care that your D-3 is in his hands and V-mon has vanished through the nearest portal.

All you can think of is the man standing, pressed against you, your hands in his hair, pulling him closer.

When he finally pushes you back, it’s only to take in a gasp of air. And, when you look around for your partner, you find him gone.

“Give me-”

Your words are cut short as Ken slips your D-3 into his pocket and you lurch towards him, finding yourself falling into the desert sands. Ken was several steps further back than you had realized, his laughter filling the space.

“There is nothing, nothing left for you… is there?”

You look up from where you had fallen, watching the glint of the dying sun on Ken’s goggles. When you blink, he’s gone, leaving you stranded.

***

It’s hours later when you sit back in the chair, turning the D-terminal over in your hands. You have several unread messages and you bite back a frustrated groan. When a call comes in -upgraded over the years by a half-hearted desire of Koushiro’s- you answer it, hesitant.

“Hello?”

The concern that filled Hikari’s eyes was plain as she looked at you. You bite back another response, sitting back in the chair. It gave her and Tailmon enough of a view of the area you were in. You were surprised that you didn’t see V-mon in the video with them.

He had always run to Hikari whenever there was a problem between the pair of you, even after you had broken up with her. Even after she and Takeru moved in together.

“Daisuke-”

You close the video out, tears forming in your eyes as you shove the device back in your pocket. You stare at the sky, letting out a sigh and run your wrist over your eyes.

“Fuck.”

The word is let out as a gasp, tears falling from your eyes as you stare upwards, tracking down your cheeks and making a path. You’re shaking and, suddenly, the desert is cold. Too cold and you need to move but, instead, you hunker down in your jacket and let yourself cry.

It wasn’t until you heard footsteps that you scrub at your face, trying to hide the damage. When you look up, it’s Ken who’s standing before you, holding out a blanket.

You reach out, taking it and swallowing. “What the fuck-”

“Come now, Daisuke, surely rejection doesn’t hurt you that hard?”

He’s stepping closer, invading your personal space, straddling you and you want to run. You want to hide but you’re frozen, staring at him. The blanket is a thick barrier between you but you still feel the heat radiating off his skin.

“Just a couple more-”

“Daisuke!”

You jump, shoving Ken off of you when you hear Hikari’s voice, turning to stare at the woman riding atop of Nefertimon. You were certain that there was horror in her gaze, watching Ken slide off your lap.

His movements were slow, but he was still out of the way before long, still holding on to your hand.

“This isn’t-” You start to stammer out but you’re ducking as a stone tablet comes flying towards your face. You can hear Ken laughing, his hand curling around your wrist.

“Oh, but it is. I’m surprised it took this long for you to figure it out. Aren’t you, Daisuke?”

There’s shivers running down your spine as he breathes your name. It’s not loud, not loud at all but you don’t get the chance to process it as another stone comes flying your way, Ken dragging you backwards.

“V-mon-” Hikari’s voice is choked and, when you get a glimpse at her face, your blood runs cold. She’s angry, tears streaming down her face. You only tell as she Nefertimon swoops closer, stone mask unyielding.

“You betrayed us!”

Ken’s hand curls tighter around your wrist and he’s laughing, laughing as the sound of feet thundering against sand meets your ears. There are Mammon swarming around and Nefertimon is forced to fly upwards, the pair of you being lost in the stamped.

Tired of being dragged, you turn, running after Ken even as he tries to drag you. When you make it to his base, you collapse on the floor, shocked.

“Now, that was unexpected.” Ken straightened, brushing off the sleeves of his jacket. He helps you to your feet after giving you a minute, his eyes hidden by the shadows of the room and his goggles.

“What the fuck-”

“Oh, Daisuke, you have fulfilled your purpose now, haven’t you?” Ken turns to you and you take a step back, watching the cold seep into his eyes. When he steps towards you again, you force yourself to stay still, heart thundering in your ears.

“But, I suppose…”

He rests a hand on your shoulder, lifting your arm up and inspecting the jacket.

“That definitely has to go, I must say…”

He’s mumbling to himself, walking around you and ignoring your protests as you try to get away from him. Each time his gloveless hand touches your bare skin, you jump.

“But there is matter of payment. Wormmon!”

You stare, watching as the digimon scuttled into the hanger, nodding. Already, you can feel the base moving and, if you wanted to or could look outside, you would find the desert receding.

“Yes, Ken?”

“The screen?”

Wormmon nodded, leading Ken -who had an unwilling Daisuke follow him- to a room. The screen flashed to live and Ken smirked, gesturing for Daisuke to step through.

“Your deal with me is over. I must admit, it was by my own hand, but…”

Your eyes lock on the screen and you step through, falling to the ground.

It was too quiet when you landed. And, upon looking up, you could see sunlight streaming through the window. Turning your head, you could only stare in horror at the blood that covered the walls.

Raising a hand, you place it to your mouth before screaming, the smell hitting you. Vomit joined the mess, and you hear laughter.

Laughter that, even as you kneeled before him, crown on his head, would haunt you for the rest of your days, playing through your dreams.

Looking at the person the mess belonged to, your sister staring dead eyed at the ceiling, you could do nothing.


End file.
